NewKerala.com

Puducherry Lt Governor Urges Voting as "Primary Duty" in Assembly Polls

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan cast his vote and urged all citizens to fulfil their primary duty by participating in the Assembly elections. Chief Minister N Rangaswamy, maintaining his tradition, rode his motorcycle to vote and expressed confidence in winning from his two constituencies. The electoral battle in the Union Territory features the ruling NDA alliance against the Congress-DMK INDIA bloc, with actor Vijay's party also in the fray. Voter turnout stood at 17.41 percent by 9 AM, with over 10 lakh electors eligible to vote for 30 seats.

Key Points: Puducherry Lt Governor, CM Vote in Assembly Elections

  • Lt Governor emphasizes voting as duty
  • CM votes on motorcycle, predicts win
  • Voter turnout at 17.41% by 9 AM
  • Key contest between NDA and INDIA bloc
3 min read

"Primary duty of every citizen to vote": Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan after casting vote

Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan calls voting a citizen's primary duty as CM N Rangaswamy votes on his motorcycle. Key updates on polls.

"It is the primary duty of every citizen to cast vote in elections. - K Kailashnathan"

Puducherry, April 9

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan cast his vote on Thursday at the DMS office during the ongoing Assembly elections, while urging other citizens to fulfil their "primary duty".

Speaking after casting his vote, Lt Governor Kailashnathan emphasised the importance of citizen participation in the voting process and appealed to all voters to come forward and exercise their right.

"It is the primary duty of every citizen to cast vote in elections. I request all the citizens to cast their vote," he told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Puducherry Chief Minister and All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder, N Rangaswamy, cast his vote, maintaining his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth. The CM is contesting from the Thattanchavady and Mangalam Assembly constituencies.

Speaking to the media after casting a vote, he said, "In both constituencies, I will win. More than numbers, forming the government is important to me."Rangaswamy offered prayers at the Sri Sarguru Appa Paithiyam Swamigal Thirukovil Temple in Thattanchavady before heading to vote.

Puducherry CM has been associated with motorcycles since 1991, the year he first won from Thattanchavady after an unsuccessful attempt in 1990. He arrived for voting in his trademark bike, which he has cherished for decades. Even in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he rode a bike to the polling station in Delarshpet (Thilaspet) to cast his vote.

The CM's habit of riding his bike to the polling booth has earned him nicknames such as "Junior Kamaraj" and "Makkal Mudhalvar" (People's CM).

Meanwhile, voter turnout at 9 am on Thursday in the Union Territory of Puducherry showed a voter turnout of 17.41 per cent. Polling for high-stakes electoral battles in two States and a Union Territory began on Thursday at 7 am.

In Puducherry, 10,14,070 electors are eligible to cast their votes for 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The electorate includes 5,39,125 female voters, 4,74,788 male voters, and 157 voters belonging to the third gender category. A total of 24,156 voters fall in the age group of 18-19 years, while 6,034 voters belong to the senior citizen category, aged 85 and above.

In Puducherry, the contest involves the ruling NDA, which includes the All India NR Congress, the BJP and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is seeking to make it triangular.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes the All India NR Congress (AINRC) led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, the BJP contesting 10 seats, and both the AIADMK and LJK, each contesting two seats.

The INDIA bloc includes Congress, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, and the DMK, contesting 14 seats. VCK, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu, has decided to contest on three assembly seats in Puducherry independently after being offered only one.

The current term of the 30-member Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory is set to expire on June 15. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Respect to CM Rangaswamy for sticking to his simple roots and riding his bike to vote. "Makkal Mudhalvar" indeed! It's a good message that leaders should stay connected to common people. Hope he focuses on development in Puducherry.
A
Aman W
The LG is right to remind us, but I wish there was more focus on *informed* voting. Many just vote for symbols or freebies. We need better voter education so people choose based on work, not just promises.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the dynamics here with so many alliances. A three-cornered contest with TVK entering could make things unpredictable. Hope the best candidate wins for Puducherry's progress.
V
Vikram M
Good to see the detailed voter breakdown - over 24k first-time voters! Youth must come out and vote. They are the future. Also glad to see third gender voters officially acknowledged. Every voice counts.
K
Karthik V
While voting is a duty, the government also has a duty to make the process smoother. Long queues, especially in heat, discourage many. More polling booths and better facilities would help increase turnout.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50